GAMBLING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8889, 27 May 1892, Page 3

GAMBLING.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, is most amusing, and the fun becomes immensely enjoyable, to find "Liberty" waxing so irate as lie _ condemns _me for " occupying valuable time in writing to the press," while he himself indulges, with considerable gusto, in the same little game ! Surely the dear old fellow has been caught napping! I am simply surprised that one who evidently plumes himself on being a " man worthy of the name," a " wholesouled and noble worker," a man inspired with motives "nobleand exalted" (bless the good soul—may his shadow never grow less ?) and one who utters a sad wail that " Father" should be so heinously frivolous as to " occupy valuable time in writing to the press," should himself be found, not only amusing himself at the same little go, but also " occupying valuable time" in " scanning the effusion" of correspondent " Father, ' and actually " occupies valuable time" in reading the daily newspaper ! I am simply shocked that one who can utter such a piteous and parsonic wail over the evils of the age, and who professes to mourn over, with a sad heart, the fact that the "world is too full of the various forms of evil," and that so many of the " weak, ignorant, and undeveloped have gone down, down, down," through those evils, should dare to be so very inconsistent, or could possibly find it in his heart to occupy valuable time in aught else than scientific education and legislation. Now, the conduct of "Liberty" in this matter appears to me to be far more " grotesquely strange and incongruous" than even _ a "Parent".in any degree palliating the vice of gambling. Never could the old adage, " Physician, heal thyself," be applied with more appropriateness than in the case of "Liberty." For me to "sympathise" with card-playing, while I condemn with the utmost asperity gambling, appears to "Liberty " a great enigma. Well, it is quite true that I do "sympathise" with cardplaying, just in the same way that I sympathise with chess-playing, football playing, cricket playing, or the playing of any other game that the intelligent can indulge in. Indeed, I cannot call to mind, just now, any game that I do not thus sympathise with. And I think it extremely narrowminded on the part of " Liberty " to place card playing any more than chess playing under his awful whine and ban. " Liberty professes to be very "scientific," philosophic, and logical. Now, I would like "Liberty' to point out logically how (when legitimate duties have been discharged) an hour or hours spent in card-playing is so much more heinous, reprehensible, and dangerous than the same time spent in playing chess, cricket, or any other refined game, providing always that the keystone of my position, and the point for which I contend, viz., the absolute exclusion of gambling (though it be but for " a few pence or " speculation," i.e., playing for stakes in a family game) be duly recognised.—l am, etc., Father.